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AI Assistant

The AI Sous Chef is your intelligent cooking assistant built into PrepStation. Ask questions, generate recipes, get meal planning suggestions, and learn how to use the app—all through natural conversation.

Overview

The AI Assistant can:

Capability Examples
Answer questions "How many recipes do we have?"
Generate recipes "Create a chocolate cake recipe"
Search your data "Show me recipes with chicken"
Plan meals "Suggest meals for 30 people, 3 days, under $500"
Provide help "How do I import ingredients?"

Opening the AI Assistant

  1. Click the AI Assistant button (chat icon) in the navigation
  2. The chat panel opens on the side of your screen
  3. Type your question or request
  4. Press Enter or click Send

What You Can Ask

Recipe Questions

Ask about your existing recipes:

Question What It Does
"How many recipes do we have?" Counts your recipes
"Show me recipes with chicken" Searches by ingredient
"What ingredients are in the tomato sauce?" Lists recipe ingredients
"Find vegetarian recipes" Searches by criteria

Generate New Recipes

Create recipes through conversation:

You: Create a chocolate lava cake recipe for 6 servings

AI: I'll create that recipe for you...
    [Shows recipe preview with ingredients and instructions]
    
    Would you like me to save this recipe?

When the AI generates a recipe:

  1. Review the recipe preview
  2. Click Save Recipe to add it to your database
  3. Or click Discard to try again

Ingredient Questions

Ask about your ingredient database:

Question What It Does
"What ingredients do we have?" Lists your ingredients
"Search for tomatoes" Finds matching ingredients
"Show me dairy ingredients" Searches by category
"What's the yield for peeled carrots?" Looks up preparation yields

Meal Planning

Get help planning meals:

You: I need breakfast and lunch for 30 people, 3 days, budget under $500

AI: Based on your menus and budget, here's what I suggest...
    [Shows meal plan options with costs]

How-To Help

Ask how to use PrepStation:

Question What It Does
"How do I create a recipe?" Explains the process
"How do I import ingredients?" Walks through imports
"What are prep recipes?" Explains the concept

Recipe Generation

Creating Recipes with Available Ingredients

When you ask the AI to create a recipe, it checks your ingredient database:

If all ingredients are available:

  • Recipe is generated using your existing ingredients
  • Costs calculate automatically
  • Ready to save

If some ingredients are missing:

  • AI shows which ingredients aren't in your database
  • You can choose to:
    • Use alternatives — AI suggests substitutions
    • Add missing ingredients — Create the ingredients first
    • Proceed anyway — Create recipe with new ingredients

Saving Generated Recipes

When the AI generates a recipe:

  1. Review — Check the recipe details
  2. Edit (optional) — Modify ingredients or instructions
  3. Save — Click to add to your database
  4. Discard — Try a different approach

Saved recipes appear in your Recipes list with all ingredients linked.

Conversation Tips

Be Specific

The more details you provide, the better the results:

Vague Specific
"Make a cake" "Create a chocolate layer cake for 12 servings"
"Plan meals" "Plan lunch for 20 people for 5 days, Mediterranean style"
"Find recipes" "Show me recipes that use chicken breast and take under 30 minutes"

Use Context

The AI remembers your conversation, so you can build on previous messages:

You: Show me pasta recipes
AI: [Lists pasta recipes]

You: Which ones are vegetarian?
AI: [Filters to vegetarian pasta recipes]

You: Create something similar to the first one
AI: [Generates a similar recipe]

Ask Follow-Up Questions

Don't hesitate to ask for clarification or changes:

  • "Can you make that recipe spicier?"
  • "What if I don't have heavy cream?"
  • "Show me more options"

Cooking Questions Only

The AI Assistant is focused on cooking and kitchen management. It will politely decline non-cooking questions:

Will Answer:

  • Recipe questions
  • Cooking techniques
  • Ingredient substitutions
  • Meal planning
  • PrepStation how-to

Won't Answer:

  • General knowledge questions
  • Non-food topics
  • Personal advice

Real-Time Responses

The AI streams responses in real-time:

  • Typing indicator — Shows when AI is thinking
  • Tool indicator — Shows when AI is searching your data
  • Streaming text — Response appears word-by-word
  • Stop button — Cancel if needed

Tips for Best Results

Recipe Generation

  • Specify serving size
  • Mention dietary requirements
  • Include style preferences (Italian, quick, comfort food)

Searching

  • Use ingredient names as they appear in your database
  • Try different search terms if results aren't what you expected

Meal Planning

  • Include number of people
  • Specify meal types (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
  • Mention budget constraints
  • Note any dietary restrictions

Common Questions

Q: Does the AI have access to my data?
A: Yes, the AI can search your recipes, ingredients, and menus to provide relevant answers. All queries respect your account and location settings.

Q: Are generated recipes saved automatically?
A: No. You must click Save Recipe to add a generated recipe to your database.

Q: Can I edit a recipe before saving?
A: Yes. Review and modify the recipe preview before saving.

Q: What if the AI suggests an ingredient I don't have?
A: You'll see options to use alternatives, add the ingredient, or proceed anyway.

Q: Is there a limit to how much I can use the AI?
A: The AI is included with your Pro plan. Usage is subject to fair use policies.

Q: Can I use the AI on mobile?
A: Yes, the AI Assistant works on mobile devices through the web interface.

Q: Why did the AI decline my question?
A: The AI is focused on cooking and kitchen management. It will decline questions outside this scope.

Next Steps

Last updated: March 23, 2026